


My Dearest Sister

by ThePlaceThatILeft (Rei_Kingdom)



Series: Pre-Mature Ramblings: Beginnings of a Small (Bright) Spark [5]
Category: Original Work
Genre: 1788, 1868, Australia, Bad living conditions, Based on True Events, First Fleet, Gen, Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Death, Letters, Sister-Sister Relationship, a convict going to, from, in my opinion, kind of, many unimportant names, mentioned - Freeform, on the, over dramatized, that happened from, to
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2016-03-25
Packaged: 2018-05-28 22:57:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6348949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rei_Kingdom/pseuds/ThePlaceThatILeft
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of letters between a convict and her sister as she is sent to Australia as part of the First Fleet.</p><p>/Originally written at age 13 for Humanities as a research (really?) piece about the convict living conditions.<br/>Another segment to 'the past that won't stay dead seriously why won't you die'<br/>See series notes for why this even exists./</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Dearest Sister

**Author's Note:**

> Well Internet People.  
> Looks like this is another thing to dump.  
> I hope it isn't as eye-gouging-ly bad as the rest of my past works.
> 
> The actual references I used back then I even put in the end notes.  
> Enjoy! (if you can)

24th October 1787

My dearest sister, Sonia,

          It has been many months since I have seen you and the children. How are they? And more importantly, how is Mother? I wish I could be there with you. I know it was a very hard life for us, and now it is even harder with me away. I know I had to do something to get money. Pick-pocketing was my only solution. I know it made our situation more difficult than before, but I needed to. To at least get food for Mother and the children. I am truly sorry. Could you ever forgive me?

Although you and I both know it would have been better not to do anything, but I had to. Mother is dying. But I think I have a solution. I will work hard here in Australia and try to get pardoned early so I may send money to you and Mother to care for the children. I am grateful that you are home in England because the journey to Australia was terrible.

The conditions were horrid. Absolutely horrid. Even worse than where we lived at home. They took me below deck. It was crowded, damp, disgusting and smelled like rotting carcases. Rats were everywhere you looked and the aroma of vomit lingered in your nostrils. At least we were given food here. It was very little, but I am very grateful. All of us slept together in the hull, along with the rats and the stench of disease and death. The others --- that weren’t convicts --- didn’t bother to clean below deck or much less go there. There were so many of us, we all came from poor, starving families. Which makes me wonder why the government has done nothing about this.

Captain Arthur Phillip led us to Australia. It seemed like years we were on that ship, though it was only months.  We had been there so long, I had grown accustom to the smell of the hull. Many that were with us died of disease, malnutrition or infection. Even living in these dark, dirty and damp conditions, most of us managed to stay out of all the officials’ way and tend to go unnoticed by many. I even made a friend, John, and 17-year-old. Just like your Benjamin.

Young and old, men and women, were all trapped here in this....this ‘death voyage’ until we reached Australia. There were stopovers along the way, but we were never allowed on deck at these times, nor any of the time unless it was to get a beating (because, let’s face it, no one wanted to go down here, even if it was to punish someone). We were told the stopovers were for extra supplies. But if they were getting supplies, why not food? Even us convicts below deck, saw the changes in the officials that came and went. We were all get skinnier and hungrier and sicker.

I miss you more than ever Sonia. I miss Mother. I miss my little girl Eva. How is she? I will do my best Sonia. I promise I will. I’ll do it for you, for Mother, for all of you. I do hope you receive this letter soon.

Your loving sister,

          Miranda

 

* * *

 

 

25th December 1787

Sonia, my faithful sister,

          I don’t know what to do Sonia! It’s John, he’s fallen terribly ill. There is a former doctor on board and he says John has an infection from all the mould, rat excrement and dead bodies laying around everywhere. The officials don’t listen! They don’t care if any life is lost, as long as it’s not their own! I know that Captain Phillip is a good man and will listen, but I can’t even speak to him! And on the night before Christmas too.

We have been on this journey for 7 months now. I feel oh-so homesick. Are Mother and Illiona doing well? In your last letter you said that Illiona was gravely sick. My Jackie is turned 12 five days ago. Please tell him I wished I could be there. I also wish I was there in the comfort of our family. It’s the first time we’ve spent Christmas apart and I feel ever so lonely, because John is always asleep and recovering.

Even though there are much less of us than there were in the beginning, it doesn’t make us any different. In my letter to you I wrote in September, a large sum of us --- mainly the most ill --- were shot dead on deck and thrown into the ocean to save food supplies. Most of us are infected by the disease and the others are on the verge of death.

Apart from all the bad news at this time of year, it appears that we are nearing Australia! Yes Sonia! I will be there soon! I can’t wait to be outside! The sunshine on my face! I’ve been down here so long, I’ve forgotten the feeling. We are supposed to arrive by the end of January. It seems the most difficult part of the trip has past. I can’t wait to get my feet back on solid ground, Sonia! But still, John’s condition worries me...

Your unfailing sister,

          Miranda

 

* * *

 

 

18th March 1789

My sister,

          It is terrible! We are in great despair! After all our hard work here in Australia, the crops have failed! And, not to add anymore distress to the situation, but they supply ship sent from England is late! But the worst is feared. What if the supply ship got lost? Captured by pirates? Sunk down into the depths of the ocean? We have worked so hard! For two years after arriving here we laboured endlessly to build our colony here on Sydney Cove, we find that the soil is unsuitable for farming?!?!

I’m very worried we may not even survive another year here. The food is already being rationed and without that supply ship, we won’t be able to continue the colony! Captain Phillip is already so kind as to ration the food equally among the convicts and officials. He has been a great support and done nothing else but to keep us alive for this long.

There have been small feuds between the convicts and officials for awhile now, and many of us are looking much healthier than we were before --- but still not that healthy --- and John has now fully recovered even though he was still working in his illness.

How is Mother? Is she still holding on? And the children? How are they? I know that it is hard for you to accept that Benjamin has died but please don’t hold it against yourself. Many people are bond to die in these times, and there’s nothing we can do about it. Eva is 5 now, and I want you to set her a good example. Benjamin was a good guy and I’m sure he’s looking down on you from a better place, watching, with a smile on his face.

There is still hope for us here. Against all odds, the rumoured bay the officials saw during the voyage here is real! A small amount of us are being moved there to see whether it has better living conditions or not.

I don’t want to make you worry. Just focus on caring for Mother and the children. I will secure a future for us, Sonia. Trust me.

With all hope and condolences,

          Miranda

 

* * *

 

 

3rd July 1796

My most wonderful sister,

          Oh, Sonia! Our prayers have been answered! I was pardoned! Early! I am now a free settler and am no longer a convict. Oh, how I have laboured! The years I’ve worked for this moment! Sonia, tell the children! Tell Mother! I will earn money in this settlement and make a living here in Australia. You, Mother, and the children will one day come here and live with me. I have hired John as one of my convicts, to see that he isn’t treated to harshly.

My early pardon is a dream! I was given my own land to work and live off. It is such a wonderful feeling to be free.

Has Mother recovered? Please tell me that the children are well and safe. It has been, how many? Seven? Eight? No, nine years since I tried to steal a man’s money. It has also been none years since I have seen you, Mother and the children. My guess is that you have all changed and grown up. Matured.

My sister, I hope we see each other with the rest of the family very soon. You and me both have gone through so much since I left. I cannot wait to see you. Do arrive here safely when you do. Naturally I will provide everything for you, and we can live just like we’ve always dreamed.

Writing to you from the bottom of her heart, your sister,

          Miranda

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> approx. 162,000 convicts were sent to Australia from 1788 to 1868 (maybe one was named Miranda i guess)
> 
> btw, did they really make us do bibliographies back then?
> 
> References:  
>  History Alive 9 by Robert Darlington, Graeme Smithies & Ashley Wood; pg. 102 – 107.  
>  Convict Life: Convict Creations; http://www.convictcreations.com/history/description.htm  
>  Life on a Convict Ship; http://members.iinet.net.au/~perthdps/convicts/shiplife.html  
>  Convicts in Australia; http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/homework-and-study/other-subjects-and-projects/history/convicts-in-australia
> 
> originally written in Lucida Calligraphy font.


End file.
